Toyota’s RAV4 EV Lives On
 Here’s some good news for fans of the battery-powered RAV4 EV. Toyota’s plans to crush the vehicles once their leases ran out were met with outrage from environmental groups and electric vehicle enthusiasts. Now it seems the automaker has had a change of heart. In a recent policy announcement, Toyota claims that it is “committed to keeping environmentally-advanced vehicles on the road as long as they are safe and it is practical to do so.”
This means that the RAV4 EV will not be removed from service based solely on age or lease expiration. Retail lessees may renew their leases for up to 60 months, after which time they may purchase them or return them to Toyota. Fleet lessees may extend their leases in renewable 12-month terms. RAV4 EVs that are returned to Toyota and are determined to be supportable and safe to operate will be leased to a new fleet customers, loaned to community groups – including national and state parks – or placed in the Toyota company fleet. Vehicles that are taken out of service will be salvaged for parts – such as expensive battery packs and modules and other components unique to the vehicle – and then recycled.
The RAV4 EV was built from 1998 to 2003 as an experiment in electric vehicle technology. Many of its key advances have contributed to the development of Toyota's hybrid vehicles currently on sale. It featured advanced nickel-metal-hydride batteries, a reliable electric drivetrain, an early form of energy-saving regenerative braking, and a computerized power management system.
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